2019 Impact Report 30Th May – 9Th June 2019
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2019 Impact Report 30th May – 9th June 2019 Thy Kingdom Come | Impact Report 2019 1 Trafalgar Square Beacon Event, London Headlines Thy Kingdom Come is a global, ecumenical prayer movement which takes place each year from Ascension to Pentecost. Christians are encouraged to pray for more people to come to faith during these 11 days of prayer. From Bangladesh to Brazil, Australia to Austria and South Africa to the Solomon Islands, more than 2 million Christians, across 65 different denominations and traditions, in 90% of countries worldwide have participated. In 2019 Thy Kingdom Come was endorsed by a range of high-profile leaders, including His Holiness Pope Francis. Her Majesty The Queen also commended Thy Kingdom Come in a speech! This year our app was downloaded thousands of times in almost 100 countries worldwide – more than twice as many as in 2018. In our annual feedback survey, we found that: • 92% of those taking part were praying for friends and family members to come to know Jesus – with nearly two thirds (62%) of this group planning to follow up or talk to the people they were praying for; • 70% of those who took part felt more encouraged to share their faith; • 40% of respondents took part for the first time this year – which shows this is still very much a growing movement; • 99% want to be involved again next year, the same figure as last year – demonstrating growth and value. “ And to you my brothers and sisters, with my brother Justin Welby, we want to tell you that we walk alongisde you in this prayer – Thy Kingdom Come.” -His Holiness, Pope Francis (*172 out of 195 countries.) 2 Thy Kingdom Come | Impact Report 2019 Thy Kingdom Come | Impact Report 2019 3 Prayer Journals, each organisation took part in their own From prayer stations to prayer walking, special joint Across England distinct way. For example, On Ascension Day, the Armed services to 24-7 prayer, here’s a snapshot of what Individuals and churches from across the Forces of Great Britain, gathered their chaplains to worship denominations, networks and churches have and pray together on Ascension Day. Each chaplain happened this year across the UK and the world. participated in Thy Kingdom Come since 2016. returned to their Garrison church with a candle to be lit during times of prayer during Thy Kingdom Come. A wide range of organisations encouraged their networks to join in prayer throughout Thy Across the UK, primary and secondary schools took part Kingdom Come, including Mothers’ Union, with some hosting a special day of activity to a whole week! SOUTH-WEST: the Evangelical Alliance, Christians Against A special resource was also produced for children this year; Poverty, and the Christian Police 380,000 copies of the Family Prayer Adventure Map were Exeter Association, to name just a few! distributed to Church of England & Methodist schools and From sharing daily videos on 600 people attended from all over Devon for their special Beacon event in the Cathedral. other networks. There was a range of activities, including prayer spaces hosted by street pastors. social media to distributing Anglo-Catholics, Methodists, Salvation Army, non-denominational churches and Church of England schools all took part. Worship was led by Sound of Wales. LONDON: Leading up to the event, churches On Pentecost Sunday, Trafalgar Square was in the region hosted a range of transformed into Trafalgar Prayer! Thousands took prayer activities including 'Say One part in the day-long, family-focused celebrations for Me', an outdoor prayer initiative with a prayer and worship service in the late organised by churches in Sidmouth. afternoon. All the Presidents of Churches Together in According to one touching story, England were present. The event was co-organised “We had a prayer bench in the by the Diocese of London. Worship was led by Matt parish churchyard with cards and Redman and the Kingdom Choir who sang at last pens for people to write prayers. year’s Royal Wedding. On the way into her wedding, a bride stopped, sat on the prayer His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos, Coptic Orthodox Archbishop bench and wrote of London and a President of Churches Together in England said: a prayer.” “Sunday was a genuinely joyful day in which the breadth of the Church across England came together to celebrate publicly and Salisbury openly and to present a very positive and hopeful witness in London and to the world.” On Sunday 9th June, young people from churches across Wiltshire and Dorset gathered together at Bishop Wordsworth’s School to worship and pray before joining a packed SOUTH-EAST: Thy Kingdom Come Beacon event at Salisbury Cathedral. Portsmouth The climax to the region’s involvement in Thy Somerset Kingdom Come was a A number of Churches Together/ Big Prayer Picnic at the Christians Together groups organised Pray on the Hills gatherings around historic Portchester Castle. the country. In Somerset, Bath, Glastonbury, Minehead and Wellington, Thousands of Christians churches took part and held ecumenical events. from all denominations across south-east Hampshire and the Isle of Wight gathered together Alan Dixon of Churches Together in Somerset said: “The idea was to to share food, enjoy family activities, worship God and engage in identify a number of hills which would allow the group to pray for/ over/ creative prayer on Pentecost Sunday. bless their own community, and then be able to turn 180⁰ and by looking over into a neighbouring county remind themselves they are part of Eastbourne something bigger and are as interconnected as the family of God.” Christians across Eastbourne came Kent together at the ecumenical Thy Over 400 events were registered by churches Kingdom Come prayer and worship for the 11 days in the Diocese of Rochester service, held on 2nd June at the iconic alone. Someone has been appointed to a bandstand. Every church in town was newly created role focused on organising and represented at the event, which was promoting Thy Kingdom Come activities and attended by over 1,500 people. events within the Diocese. 4 Thy Kingdom Come | Impact Report 2019 Thy Kingdom Come | Impact Report 2019 5 WEST MIDLANDS: EAST MIDLANDS: Lichfield and the surrounding areas Nottingham Lots of prayer events – big and small – took place across Staffordshire, On 5th June, Christians from churches across Nottingham gathered in the Market Shropshire and the Black Country during Thy Kingdom Come. These Square to ‘Bow Down’ and pray for the City. The event attracted the attention of included the second ‘St Chad’s Pilgrimage,’ in which almost 100 people the local media with the headline: This is why hundreds of people were praying in walked the 19 miles from Repton (Derbyshire) to Lichfield Cathedral on Nottingham’s Old Market Square last night. Attendance doubled from last year and Pentecost Saturday, 8th June. churches from across the city took part. Other Vineyard churches across England and Wales host their own Bow Down, events this year. The Nottingham City Prayer group also organised a night of prayer and worship at the Trent Vineyard Church on 7th June with people from hundreds of churches across the region. The event was attended by more than 1,000 people including nuns who told organisers they rarely leave the convent but made the journey for this special gathering. “It was a catalyst to bring many of the churches in our town and local area to worship and pray together. It helped build unity amongst us.” The pilgrims included representatives from the Diocese of Lichfield, Methodist Church, URC, Baptist Association and the Roman Catholic church. Despite – or maybe because of – the incessant rain on the day, the camaraderie was excellent throughout. Mgr Tim Menezes, Vicar General in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham, said: "The conversations between sometimes strangers of different Christian traditions, based on reasonable curiosity of how we do things differently, made for an engaging distraction from the steady rainfall throughout most of the walk! We walked and prayed and we were very happy to be part this developing tradition of local pilgrimage. It was moving to ask God’s Blessing on places, people, on industry and on God’s creation which is entrusted to our care and to future generations." Revd Rachel Parkinson, Chair of the Wolverhampton/Shrewsbury Methodist EAST OF ENGLAND: District, led a five-day pilgrimage through Shropshire immediately prior to Ascension Day. Norwich Churches in Great Yarmouth and Gorleston ran prayer activities Hereford throughout the 11 days. Christians in Hereford prayed and celebrated together as part of Thy Kingdom On Ascension Day, Thursday 30th May, there were three Come last month. A 24/7 prayer room in the city was so successful (with over services held to mark the beginning of the 11 days of prayer. 175 people signing up to pray in the hour-long slots), that the Upper Room prayer They were at Great Yarmouth Minster, where the Archdeacon room is to remain open for prayer for the city and the county. Nearly 200 people of Norfolk gave the address, a Beacon event at Norwich gathered from churches all over the city on Pentecost evening in St Peter’s Church. Cathedral and another event at Kings Lynn Minster. To capitalise on this movement, a plan was made to meet daily between 7-8am in the prayer room with the specific mandate of praying for revival – ‘Hereford Revival Hour’, Churches from across Norfolk celebrated Pentecost with from 1st July. worship at the Cathedral on the Sunday. Afterwards they prayed outside for the city at 8:30pm. Worcester Christians from across Worcestershire gathered at Worcester Arena on “Inspiring and encouraging to share with others.